Geek + Bellydance + Fire

"Set phasers to stunning." - The Daily Mail (UK)

A Timeout Chicago Critics' Pick

Raks Geek is the premiere bellydance, flow arts, and fire company by geeks for geeks. We're based in Chicago, Illinois, but we've made waves nationally and internationally on MSN, WGN-TV, The Daily Mail, UK Channel 4 TV, and The Chicago Tribune through our commitment to blend a high degree of artistic and technical mastery with fun, creativity, and our favorite themes from nerd culture. Our dancers and firespinners have performed everywhere from Spain to Canada to Argentina and dance for hundreds of people every week, but they're also lifelong geeks who bring a love and expertise in science fiction, video games, technology, research science, and comics.

Upcoming Theatrical Productions

Friday, Nov. 4, 2016: 8:00pm

Join bellydancing Wookiees, firespinning superheroes, and hooping Borg for an unforgettable night of nerdiness and dancing! Raks Geek presents a brand-new show inspired by the X-Men, Star Wars, Silent Hill, Star Trek, Avengers, and more. Join in the geekery as we light things on fire!

Performers

Dawn Xiana Moon (Founder/Director)

After years of teaching swing dancing, a YouTube video prompted Dawn Xiana Moon to reinvent herself as a tribal bellydancer. She studied with Stephanie Barto and Jolie Roberson of Read My Hips and soon after was invited to join the troupe, which performs over 100 shows a year at venues like the Chicago Field Museum and Alhambra Palace. She also performs regularly in the US and Canada with Acrobatica Infiniti, the nerd circus. The Singapore-born geek has spoken at The University of Chicago, C2E2, DePaul University, Moraine Valley College, 20x2, and Chicago Comic Con, and regularly out-nerds even computer science professors. She is also a singer-songwriter that has toured through 10 states; her latest album features folk/pop with influences from jazz and traditional Chinese music. Dawn is also a UX designer and web developer with clients including the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Anheuser-Busch (like this site? She made it). Conversations with her may cover the following topics: the differences between the Lord of the Rings films and books, Shakespeare, who would win in a fight between the Daleks and the Borg, how decades of Star Wars lore were destroyed in a single moment of the prequels, and the importance of good art.

Michi Trota

Michi Trota is a firespinning geek fiend who was raised on a steady diet of 80s cartoons, anime, and sci-fi/fantasy literature and soundtracks. She has a Simpsons quote for every occasion, always bags and boards her comics, and refuses to acknowledge the existence of a fourth Indiana Jones movie. Discussions about geek culture, feminism and intersectionality are guaranteed to get her talking for hours - she organizes panels at C2E2 and Chicago Comic Con and is a semi-regular guest on Loot the Room. She's an organizer for both the Chicago Full Moon Jams and the Chicago Nerd Social Club, and blogs about geekery, food, fire and anything else that catches her fancy at The Geek Melange. She is also the Managing Editor of the Hugo Award-winning Uncanny Magazine.

Kamrah

Research scientist by day, bellydancer by night, Kamrah is basically a superhero. Oh, and they can kick your butt too: They have 13 years of experience in a variety of martial arts, won third place at Tae Kwon Do World Championships (White Belt), and studied kung fu with Lou Illar (Sidekicks with Chuck Norris). As a bellydancer, Kamrah has been performing traditional, cabaret, and tribal fusion since 2001; they currently perform throughout the country as a soloist at places like Chicago's Double Door. Last year, Kamrah taught at Tribal Fest in Sebastopol, CA, the largest tribal bellydance festival in the world, and they taught at Tempest's Waking Persephone (Seattle) in 2014 and 2015. Kamrah has also danced with Tucson-based Skirt Full of Fire, directed by Jolie Roberson, and Xanadu Dancers (Phoenix, AZ). Their love of science fiction, fantasy, and comic books is well known, but lesser known is the fact that they an Alien tattoo. And a virus tattoo. And Rebel Alliance and Imperial tattoos. Up for a challenge? When Kamrah's not kicking literal butt, they kick figurative butt in Star Wars Trivial Pursuit and Final Fantasy. You've been warned.

Gaea Lady

Gaea Lady has been moving in mysterious ways since she was three years old. An enchantress by nature, she sees her body as her instrument to express herself. Studying classical forms to start her career, her attention soon went the way of the ethereal, including fire, hoops and hypnotizing fabrics. Dabbling amid any form she can get her toes on, her style borrows from the graceful and energetic mix of all she’s studied in the past. Featured in the Kiss Kiss Cabaret, at Untitled’s Unbridled, The Naughty Little Cabaret, The Drifter, and with Pyrotechniq Fire Troupe, she travels all over the US performing and teaching. In June, she won "Best Debut" and "Most Classic" at the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Gaea geeks out about food, Star Wars, and the metaphors and stories of all things sci-fi between rehearsals and shows. Being Leia has been a dream of hers ever since she first saw Episode IV at the age of five.

Lee Na-Moo

Internationally known, Lee Na-Moo combines bellydance with contemporary dance, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and several Asian styles. He won the 2010 Chicago Oriental Dance Competition, which brought him to audiences in Argentina, and was invited to teach and perform at the 7th International Oriental Festival in Spain. He has been a longtime member of Read My Hips, directed by Stephanie Barto, and is a member of Joel Hall Dancers, a contemporary dance company based in Chicago. He is also an avid video gamer and a lover of all things geek.

Never seen a sexy Wookiee bellydance? This can be remedied.

- MSN.com

Upcoming Shows

Friday, Nov. 4, 2016: 8:00pm

Join bellydancing Wookiees, firespinning superheroes, and hooping Borg for an unforgettable night of nerdiness and dancing! Raks Geek presents a brand-new show inspired by the X-Men, Star Wars, Silent Hill, Star Trek, Avengers, and more. Join in the geekery as we light things on fire!

"The coolest dance company on earth." - Jedi Funtime

Get 15% off tickets by Nov. 3 with code RIVER!

Raks Geek has performed at the University of Chicago, Gen Con, Uptown Underground, Mayne Stage, Chi-Fi, C2E2 afterparties, Viaduct Theatre, Prop Thtr, and Public House Theatre. Our bellydancers and flow artists/firespinners have also performed at venues including the University of Illinois - Chicago, The Field Museum, Untitled, Tribal Fest (Sebastopol, CA), Metro, Alhambra Palace, International Festival of Oriental Dance (Valladolid, Spain), Atomic Lollipop (Toronto, Canada), and the Chicago Full Moon Fire Jams as soloists and with other performance companies.

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Raks Geek makes use of costuming to enhance its bellydance and flow/fire performances for purposes of parody and satire. Any characters portrayed are registered trademarks of their respective trademark holders. Raks Geek is not sponsored, endorsed by or affiliated with any trademark holder or any of their affiliated companies and/or third-party licensors unless explicitly stated otherwise.